A recent study by the Education School’s Youth-Nex program found the Jefferson Public Citizens initiative is accomplishing its objectives to help students to develop leadership and communication skills applicable to real-world settings.
The JPC, founded in 2009, is a two-year undergraduate research program devoted to community service through civic engagement. It is dedicated to promoting student-led team projects, according to its website, and has funded programs as diverse as research on water sanitation levels, low-cost housing initiatives and initiatives that discourage bullying among adolescent girls.
The Youth-Nex study surveyed students in the 2012 contingent to determine their perspective on the program and community service more broadly, and surveyed the 2011 cohort about the impact JPC initiatives had on them. Generally, the survey found the program achieved its goals.
“Students report personal growth in academic skills over the course of their project, [and] attribute a great deal of growth to participating in JPC,” according to the study.
JPC also helps students develop leadership and communication skills, said Brian Cullaty, JPC Associate Director and assistant to the vice provost for academic programs.
“We want for students to learn how to do research, specifically community-based research,” he said. “We want students to be achieving certain analytical skills, critical thinking skills.”
Although the study found the program effective, there were several recommendations for moving forward.
Students interviewed suggested the program could improve by providing participants with “more cultural preparation, methodological advice [and] team building before teams leave for [their sites.]”
Fourth-year College student Natalie Roper said JPC has had an enormous impact on her life at the University.
“I think the JPC provides such an incredible opportunity for students to work together, to work with a faculty member and a community leader to get lots of different perspectives, and you can tackle a program that actually matters,” she said.
The report highlighted one point for possible improvement: community satisfaction. Twenty percent of community partners the students worked with said the product they received “was not of high enough quality to benefit anyone,” according to the report, although all partners said students “mostly” or “fully” met expectations 70 to 90 percent of the time.
“Our next step is to talk to JPC students who have just graduated and talk about the impact JPC had on their career,” Youth-Nex researcher Maryfrances Porter said.
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